At the Kenner Wine and Food Event a few weeks ago one of the things people talked a lot about was the chicken eggrolls from Porch & Patio in Rivertown, a place I’d never heard of. It’s a new place there. Poor Rivertown, which is so far away from everything it is a wonder anything survives. Few do.
Gendusa’s is a happy exception to the list of good restaurant casualties in this tiny old enclave. Porch & Patio is built almost directly across the street from the sadly defunct Le Parvenu, one of the best restaurants ever to be counted in the dining scene anywhere in Kenner.
It’s sort of a beer garden or saloon, with ambitious food. The Marys went hungry. And excited. For someone who really loves a good club sandwich, what could be more titillating than something called “The Monster Club?”
But this being the Marys, we first had to have some spinach dip, which is something we have had so often lately they all blend. This certainly did, which is not to say it was bad, but it was not memorable at all.
Maybe we just got off to a bad start with a discussion of the fries. We have noticed a little sleight-of-menu lately where it states fresh-cut fries only to notice a plate of very ordinary fires arrive at the table. There appears to be a subtle nuance in phrasing which is important here. Hand-cut fries means the kitchen is hand cutting them. Maybe. No one knows whose hand it is. And when they are cutting. They may be cutting fries at a commissary far away and freezing them. Fresh cut often means nothing, and wait staff generally don’t bother to know the difference. We ask now sometimes just for research purposes, and to gauge whether our french fry meter is off. It was working fine here-it’s an ordinary fry that looks a little better than truly ordinary ones. We think now that the phrase that means what you want it to mean is housemade.
The monster club was definitely a monster, sitting nearly four inches high. with good bacon and warm meats. Huh? It was also cut just in half and did not fit the classic model for this classic sandwich. Also just fine and nothing special. Points for sourdough bread. The salad ML got was also pretty ordinary with a “Southwest” dressing that she swore was Rotel diluted with mayo or sour cream.
This is a very cute place that really does have rather a saloon quality to it. Very rustic inside and out, the patio part of this is at least as large as the inside booth seating. It might be a great place to go for happy hour, and I’ll bet it’s really popular.
As I mentioned earlier in this piece, there is not very much in this geographical area, and this is a good place to go for all those hungry people. It is not a destination place though, for the food. But where else can you feel like you’re in a saloon? That may be worth a trip, and the food is plenty good enough to make it worth your while to try something different.
Porch & Patio
512 Williams Blvd Kenner
504-282-9113
Tue-Th 11-9
Friday & Saturday till 11
Closed Sunday & Monday
theporchandpatio.com
